Syllabus for the History of Modern Art class

From impressionism to contemporary art, following the most influential art

movements of the XXI century.
CLASS #1:

INTRODUCTION TO MODERN ART

open discussion about What is art?, Why should we care or why is it

important?, What makes an object or a gesture art?, What is
modernity?, What is modern art?, What can art express?, And what
can it change?
general introduction to some of the most important art movements, artist s
and artworks: how Duchamps Fountain, Matisses Dance, Picassos
Demoiselles d'Avignon, Dalis dreams, Pollocks drippings, Fluxuss happenings
or Warhols tomato cans, changed everything in the artworld
Why was art modernized? (social context and economic developments,
industrial revolution, etc)
some notes on the main breakthroughs comparing to previous art

IMPRESSIONISM

context and premises (what impressionism changed in the art world, main
techniques, differences in style comparing to previous art movements such as
baroque, mannerism, renaissance, romanticism and realism)
discussion on the focus of the movement: light, color and movement of the
natural world, capture of the fleeting moment
case studies of paintings from the most important artist s (Renoir, Monet,
Manet, Degas, Pissarro, Sisley and Lautrec)

POST-IMPRESSIONISM

similarities and differences comparing to Impressionism

case studies of paintings from the most important artists ( Czanne, Gauguin,
Van Gogh and Seurat)
open discussion on Why is Van Gogh so important in the art world? and of
some of his paintings
brief introduction of other movements of the same time: Neo-Impressionism,
Symbolism (e.g. Munchs Scream), Synthetism, Tonalism and Neo-Primitivism

some notes about the connection between fine arts with other artistic
mediums within these movements (e.g. symbolism and the poetry of
Baudelaire and Rimbaud)
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise in the style of an artist of the students choice from
Impressionism or Post -Impressionism, open discussion and feedback about the
artworks produced

CLASS #2-3:

FAUVISM

context and premises (why break with the realism of the scene in order to
depict the artist mood/interpretive perception, main techniques and style,
some notes on the influence in posterior art movements like expressionism)
discussion on the focus of the movement: harsh colors and expression of
feelings
case studies of paintings from the most important artists ( Matisse and Derain)

CUBISM

context and premises (main techniques and style, major breakthroughs

comparing to previous art movements, inspirations on African art )
discussion on the focus of the movement: art going abstract, the rebellion of
geometry, breaking objects to reassemble them in a different way, etc
introduction to different sub-genres in the movement: analytic cubism and
synthetic cubism
some notes on the influences in other movements (e.g. Futurism, Synchronism,
Orphism, Suprematism, De Stijl, Abstract Art, etc)
case studies of paintings from the most important artists (Picasso, Braque,
Lger, Metzinger, Delaunay, Lhote, Fauconnier, Gleizes, Gris)
open discussion on the importance of Pablo Picasso in the art history and
review of paintings of his different stylistic phases
creative exercise in the style of an artist of the students choice from the
Fauvism, Cubism or Futurism movements, open discussion and feedback
about the artworks produced

FUTURISM

context and premises (connections with Cubism, brief appointments on the

social and political situation that gave birth to the movement, some notes

and examples on the influence in other artistic mediums, such as the poet
Marinetti. the architect Sant'Elia or the composer Luigi Russolo and the rise of
noise music)
open discussion on the main themes of the movement and its expression in
paintings and other mediums, the emphasis on the modernity, technology,
machinery, youth and speed
case studies of paintings from the most important artists (Balla, Boccioni,
Severini, Carr and Almada Negreiros)
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt

CLASS #4:

ABSTRACT ART

introduction to Abstract Art, expression of representations of reality (semiabstraction) or pure abstract forms through lines and shapes, colors and
tones, pattern and texture
some brief notes on the different movements within Abstractionism before
going deeper in some of them (Suprematism, De Stijl, Minimalism, Orphism,
Constructivism, Art Informel/Tachisme/Lyrical Abstraction, Abstract
Expressionism, Rayonism, Op Art, etc)

GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM

context of the movement and its repercussions in other mediums (from the
roots in the paintings of symbolic painter Edvard Munch to the movies of Fritz
Lang or Wienes The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)
open discussion on the premises and main focus of the movement: emotion
distorting form, the disregard of realism and art as pure expression of emotion,
Is art able to provoke the feelings of the artist in the viewer?
brief appointments on different sub-groups of the movement: the bridge and
the blue rider

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

context of the movement and discussion about pure abstraction and

expression without form
introduction to different sub-genres of the movement and their unique
approaches: Action Painting and the focus on the process (e.g. Pollocks
drippings), Color Field Painting and colors has emotional and religious
experience (e.g. the Rothko chapel), the New York School, the synesthesia of
Kadinsky, etc

review of some of the artwork from the movement: Pollock, Rothko, Kooning,
Gorky, Motherwell, Klee, Kadinsky
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise: painting with any materials and colors an emotion of the
students choice

CLASS #5:

SUPREMATISM and CONSTRUTIVISM

context and premises of both movements (the mystical approach of

Suprematism, the social/political stance of Construtivism, etc)
open discussion on the ability of art to evoke spiritual experiences
review of some of the work of the painters Malevich, Lissitzky, Tatlin,
Rodchenko and Gabo
discussion on the power of art to change the world, from the st arting point of
the failure of Construtivism to submit its political messages to the common
people and the gradual shift to Socialist Realism
connection to movements that were influenced by these movements, such
as De Stijl, Bahaus and Concrete Art

DE STIJL

context and premises of the movement, its approach to abstractionism and

some of its focus (color, composition, harmony)
review of the work of Mondrian, Van Doesburg and Van Der Leck
creative exercise: copying the style of Mondrian into a new drawing,
exploring different geometric possibilities and color harmonies

BAUHAUS

context and premises of the movement (the birth of design)

review of some artwork, architecture and design objects
some notes on other movements that influenced the urban and home
landscape: art nouveau, art deco and other decorative arts
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise: drawing an everyday object of students choice in the
style of Bauhaus

CLASS #6-8:

DADA

introduction to the most groundbreaking movement in art history, the context

(World War I and political instability, skepticism towards institutions and
rationality in general), the provocations (anti-art as art , the use of chance in
the creative process, everyday objects as art objects, etc), the connections
with other mediums (e.g. the poetic performances of Hugo Ball or the
cinema of Lger)
notes on some of the most important epicenters of the movement: Tristan
Tzara and the Cabaret Voltaire, Marcel Duchamps aesthetics and
philosophy, etc
screening of excerpts of the short -movie Ballet Mechanique and reviewing
some of the most important artworks of Duchamp and other Dadaist artists,
such as Hannah Hoch, Janco, Bellmer, Picabia, Max Ernst, Arp, Bailly, Grosz,
Hausmann, Taeuber, Hennings, Huelsenbeck, Richter, Schwitters, and Segal
open discussion on the concept of ready-made and the idea of the art
going conceptual, what are the challenges that a piece like Duchamps
Fountain bring to the art world, the changes to our conception of art, the
function of the art market, etc
introduction to Asian versions of Dada: the Mavo group and the Japanese
avant-garde
creative exercise: writing an essay about the alchemy of the artist in the light
of the ready-mades, what makes an object art, its differences to handicraft,
the separation between art and everyday life, etc

SURREALISM

context (e.g. the rise of psychotherapy), introduction to the movement and

its premises, the power of imagination, exploration of different creative
methods (dreams, free association, etc), some notes on the surrealist
manifestos of Andr Breton
screening of some excerpts of the movie Un Chien Andalou and review of
artworks of important surrealists: Salvador Dali, Max Ernst , Joan Mir, Masson,
Tanguy, Picabia, Magritte, Chagall, etc
introduction to Asian surrealists: Harue Koga, Choi Xoo Ang
open discussion on the use of irrationality and tapping into the unconscious
as creative process
connections with photography (e.g. Man Ray and Tabard), cinema (e.g. Luis
Bunuel and Maya Deren), music (e.g. Varese and Satie), theatre (Artaud),
literature, etc

brief introduction to other opposite movements such as social realism or

magic realism
some notes on posterior movements influenced by Surrealism or Dadaism:
Neo-Dadaism and Fluxus, Lettrism, Art Brut, collages and assemblages, the
beat generation poetry and literature (Jack Keourac, Allen Ginsberg,
Gregory Corso, Gary Snyder, William Burroughs, etc), the Situationist
International movement, the Theatre of the Absurd of Ionesco or Beckett,
Anarchist political movements, etc
creative exercise: making an artwork (drawing, painting, poem, etc) using
surrealist methods and intentions

NEO-DADA, NOUVEAU REALISME AND FLUXUS

introduction to the aesthetics and philosophies of Neo-Dadaism, what were

the inspirations from Dada and what was new
the differences between what was called Neo-Dada and the semi-defined
group Fluxus, some notes on the history and context of Fluxus, the seminal
teachings of John Cage and the group that formed afterwards, study of the
philosophy behind (bringing together art and everyday life, erasing the
borders between different art practices, radical notions on collaboration,
production and distribution of art, etc)
open discussion on the novelty of some of the most iconic artworks from that
time, such as the Rauschenbergs combines, the happenings of Kaprow, the
creation of the I ntermedia concept by Dick Higgins, the video art of Nam
June Paik, the fluxobjects and fluxshops of Maciunas, the silent compositions
of John Cage, the performances of Yoko Ono, etc
introduction to the Nouveau Realisme of Yves Klein
review of the work of some of the famous artist s from the movement :
Akasegawa, Joseph Beuys, Blonk, George Brecht, Chamberlain, Jim Dine,
Dick Higgins, Hjuler, Jasper Johns, Allan Kaprow, Alison Knowles, Maciunas,
Manzoni, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, Rauschenberg, Shinohara, Wolf Vostell
the influences of the happenings: brief introduction to the Performance Art
that emerged from the sixties until today, discussion on the concept of
artwork without object
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise: creating a concept and developing an idea for a
happening (or other Neo-Dada artwork with the condition of combining
different materials, mediums or art forms)

CLASS #9:

POP ART

context (the New York avant-garde scene, the American capitalist society,
etc) and premises of the movement, the breaking of the barrier betw een
high and low art, consumerism and advertising aesthetics conquering art
review of some of the work of the most famous pop artists: Andy Warhol,
Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Rauschenberg, Paolozzi, Hamilton, Rosenquist,
Oldenburg, Polke, Ruscha, Hockney
introduction to some Asian pop artists, such as Keiichi Tanaami and Takashi
Murakami
creative exercise: doing a pop art artwork using Cambodian materials and
inspiration (mass media and advertisement aesthetics or products, satirical
approaches to Khmer society, etc)

ARTE POVERA

context and premises of the movement (use of found objects, everyday life
as inspiration, critique of mainstream institutions, etc)
review of some of the artists of the movement: Pistoletto, Anselmo, Boetti,
Calzolari, Fabro, Kounellis, Merz, Merz, Paolini, Pascali, Penone, Prini and Zorio
introduction to Junk Art and other mediums of expression that use garbage or
other unconventional materials
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise: doing an artwork (sculpture, collage, assemblage, etc)
using trash, recyclable materials, etc

CLASS #10:

EARLY CONTEMPORARY ART AND OTHER RELEVANT MOVEMENTS:

brief introduction to other movements that had an influence on passage

from modern to contemporary art: Generative Art, Land Art, Kinetic and Op
Art, Process Art, Psychedelic Art, Mail Art
introduction to Gutai, an A sian radical avant -garde group, and review of
artworks from some of its artists (e.g. Shimamoto, Tanaka and Kusama)
review of Khmer Art from the sixties (e.g. Nhek Dim)
introduction to Feminist Art (e.g. Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, Martha
Rosler, Suzanne Lacy, Barbara Kruger and The Guerrilla Girls) and other social
engaged movements
review of artworks and open discussion about their premises and outcomes

creative exercise: making an artwork in a style of the students choice

CONCEPTUAL ART AND NEO-CONCEPTUALISM

introduction to conceptual process of art making, the philosophy and

aesthetics behind it, its sub-genres such as instruction art, its past influences
and history (Dada, Fluxus, Abstract Art, Lettrism, etc)
review of some key conceptual artists: Kosuth, Sol LeWitt, Weiner, Baldessari,
Nauman, Flynt, Morris, Johnson, McCollum, Graham, Haacke, Kelley, Hirst,
Emin, Starling, LeKay, Bolognini, Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, Ai Weiwei and
others
discussion on Asian Conceptual Art, inspirations and differences comparing
to western art
some notes on other movements related, such as the Young British Artists
(Hirst, Emin, etc) or the Stuckists (as an opposite movement)
introduction to other contemporary movements: Computer Art, Installation
Art, Net Art, Digital Art, Electronic Art , New Media Art, Systems Art, Cybernetic
Art
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise on digital art (e.g. making a simple piece of glitch art,
computer creative manipulation of a photograph or any other computer art
piece)

CLASS #11:

MINIMALISM AND POST-MINIMALISM

introduction to the movement, its reaction to expressionism, the connections

to other art practices (e.g. the minimal composers Reich, Glass, Riley and La
Monte Young) and the differences between Minimalism and Post -Minimalism
review of artworks of some of the most important artists: Judd, Stella, Ad
Reinhardt , Martin, Serra, Morris, McCracken, Flavin, Truitt, McCracken, Bladen,
Sandback, Eva Hesse, Tony Smith, Anne Truitt and Sol LeWitt
open discussion on is there any Asian minimalist/post -minimalist movement?
and examples of some artists (e.g. Hiroshi Senju)
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt
creative exercise: developing an artwork on the light of minimalism or post minimalism

PHOTOREALISM AND HYPERREALISM

introduction to both movements, its premises and main focus (e.g. stripping a
scene of its emotion to give emphasis to the objects), discussion on the
techniques (the sharpness, the play with the light and shadow, textures and
shiny surfaces, etc), inspiration from Pop Art and the stance against
Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism
review of artworks of some artists: Ralph Goings, Chuck Close, Richard Estes,
Duane Hanson, Charles Bell, Audrey Flack, Malcolm Morley, Denis Peterson
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt

CLASS #12-15:

POST-MODERNISM AND FOLLOWING CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES

introduction to the social and cultural context, the philosophers and the rise
of an art without a center, main premises of the movement (self-reference,
reworking and mixing past styles, questioning of common assumptions and
traditional notions of beauty, etc) and connections to other postmodern art
forms (cinema, literature, architecture)
review of artwork of relevant postmodern artists: Richter, Cindy Sherman,
Kiefer, Gehry, Hadid, Botero, Jeff Koons, Marina Abramovic, Diane Arbus,
Schnabel, Baselitz, Immendorf, Kiefer, Fischl, Christo, Gursky, LaChapelle,
Mapplethorpe, Clement, Basquiat, and others
some notes on different movements within Postmodernism: Deconstrutivism,
Neo-expressionism, Neo-Pop, Massurrealism, New Classicism, Installation Art,
Lowbrow Art, Performance Art, Digital Art, Net Art, Multimedia Art, Telematic
Art, Toyism, Appropriation Art and The Pictures Generation, Demoscene, New
Leipzig School , Multiculturalism, Funism, Thinkism, Graffiti and Street Art, etc
introduction to Superflat, an asian postmodern movement founded by
Takashi Murakami, and discussion about other asian contemporary
movements (Vietnamese lacquer painting, Indonesian batik, Japanese and
Korean avant -garde, Chinese ink art, Thai contemporary Buddhist art, etc)
review of contemporary Khmer artists (e.g. Phy Chan Than, Soeung Vannara,
Long Sophea, Prom Sam An, Leang Seckon, Pich Sopheap, Svay Ken, Asasax,
Chhan Dina, Patrick Samnang Mey, Lam Soeung, Chhorn Bun Son, Marine Ky,
Chath Piersath, Mao Soviet, Kim Hak, Anida Yoeu Ali, Srey Bandaul, Svay
Sareth, Neak Sophal, Theanly Chov, etc)
review of other contemporary asian artists (e.g. Zao Wou-Ki, Zeng Fanzhi,
Affandi, Nam June Paik, Aoshima, Shiota, Mariko Mori, Ikeda, Hua Tunan,
Huang Yulong, Liu Ding, Liu Bolin, Yue Minjun, Sui Jianguo, Xu Bing, etc)

review of Graffiti Art in south east asia, its artists ( Fonki, Theo Vallier, Lisa Mam
and Peap Tarr from Cambodia; Alex Face, Jm, Bne, Alex Mardi Pat , Egis,
7same and Skool from Thailand; 5hadows, Hanoi Graffity, Zunk and Crazone
from Vietnam; Dreams from Laos; They, Phobia, Dwane, Carpet One, Askoe
and Ashteristic from Malaysia; 9micro from Myanmar; Clog 2, Syco, Slacsatu,
Hastwo, Locase and Klaxon99 from Singapore) and exploration of artworks
(creative exercise about the Street Art found in Phnom Penh)
wrap-up and summary of what was learnt

CLASS #16:

WRAP-UP OF WHAT WAS LEARNT, SUMMARIES, FEEDBACK ON THE ARTWORK

PRODUCED, EXAMINATIONS, ETC.